Covering element and method of making the same



April 23 1940. ERNST 4 2 197,972

.COVERING ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 14, 1939 INVENTOR Patented as. 23, 1940 STATES PATENT COVERING ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAlVIE Application January 14 1939, Serial No. 250,953

16 Claims.

This invention relates to covering elements and more especially to covering elements in the form of strips for laying in courses in overlapping arrangement." The inventionparticularly relates to shingle strips having a tab or tabs depending from the body portion and spaced apart a distance of the degree of the coursewise dimension depending from a body portion and separated by.

such a recess or have been provided with a single tab of such coursewise dimension with respect to the coursewise dimension of the body portion of the strip that when such elements are arranged in courses the space between two tabs is substantially of like dimension and of the same or complementary shape as the tab. Such constructions in the prior art have tended to regular and even to geometric forms of the motif or design produced in the roof construction by an assembly of such elements in courses in overlapping arrangement. In general, such elements, whether having a single tab or a plurality of tabs, have been laid with the coursewise edge of the tab adjacent or coincident with the inner edge of the recess. The coverage secured in such roof constructions in most cases is that of a single thickness of material in the area of the element above the tab area. The regular arrangement of the elements, however, insures that joints between elements in a course are covered by tabs of a superposed course. 'Such geometric and regular motifs or designs in a roof become monotonous and heretofore there has not been secured either satisfactory variation of color and contrast 'or a satisfactory simulation of individual roofing elements, with the resultant desirable texture in the roof construction, as is possible with the old types of individual elements such as wood shingles.

The invention purposes to overcome some of the objections of the prior art shingles and to provide a shingle and a roof covering composed thereof in which contrast in color, dimensional variation of the simulated roofing units and a suitable simulation of the thickness of theunits and the resultant texture of the roof composed of individual shingle units is obtained with a covering element or shingle strip of the type referred to having wide-spaced tabs, that is, tabs separated by spaces or recesses of similar degree to the width of the tabs.

In order to secure some of these desirable results it has been proposed heretofore to apply to a shingle element of the type to which the invention relates a stripe along the lower edge of the body portion thereof, and particularly extending in the region where the tab area joins the body of the element. Moreover, it has been proposed to position this stripe so that the lower line thereof is outof alignment with the inner edge of the recess between the tabs in order to secure the effect of a similar degree of exposure of the simulated individual roofing units in the same course, as will be more readily understood from the description to follow. It, moreover, has been proposed to produce upon the tab area below such a stripe a color or surface appearance for the tab which is in contrast with the color or appearance of the body portion of the shingle element or shingle strip. These features heretofore proposed are retained in the present invention, which has as a further object the improvement of the results and advantages obtained thereby.

The invention provides for carrying out the simulation ofa lower or butt edge of an individual unit by means of said stripe in a shingle element or a shingle strip of the type referred to in which the coursewise dimension of the tab is unequal to andusu'ally less than the coursewise dimension of the space between the tabs. In the usual arrangement of wide-spaced-tab shingle elements or strips in courses in overlapping arrangement the lower or butt edge of the tab is placed adjacent and commonly substantially coincident with the inneredge of the recess between tabs. When the coursewise tab dimension is to be made less than the coursewise edge of the recess becarrying the stripe with its full width for its full length between said overlapping tabs.

comes modified at its corners. This extension or projection of the body may be-in the form of a step, the lower or coursewise edge of which may be substantially in line with or coincident with the lower edge of the stripe. The edge of said step transverse to the course may be so positioned that the side edge of the tab of the overlapping course may be substantially registered i therewith to secure the proper relation of the elements in the two courses. In a shingle strip having a plurality of tabs the distance along the edge of the body portion in the coursewise direction between the transverse edges of such steps at opposite corners of a recess may be substantially equal to the coursewise dimension of the tab, thereby providing marks or guides for positioning the tab or tabs of the shingle element "or shingle strip in the course. In the case of shingle elements having only a single tab depending from a body portion it will be clear that'these steps .in two adjacent shingles in a course also may afford the means of positioning the element in the overlapping course. It also will be noted that these steps provide means to carry the stripe area in the coursewise direction fully to meet the side edge of the overlapping tabs.

By virtue of the features above described an assembly of such elements in overlapping courses secures the appearance of irregular or unequal widths of the individual shingle units simulated.

The butt edge of the simulated unit, as well as the simulative shadow thereof on the area of the shingle strip expos dbetween two overlapping tabs, may effectively be simulated by the stripe which extends generally in line with the coursewise edge of the tabs between which it extends.

.in some of the elements heretofore proposed, a

stripe along the butt edge of the tab also is provided to accentuate the appearance of thickness of and the shadow thrown by the tab, the stripe on a subjacent strip exposed between tabs and extending generally in line with this accentuating stripe on said tabs may carry out the accentuated thickness and shadow by being made of suitable width transversely of the course.

The features above generally described will be more clearly understood byreference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the element of the invention Fig. 2 shows an assembly of the elements of Fig. l a i Fig. 3 shows the method of cutting from a sheet elements with tabs of less width than the spaces separating the tabs spaced apart by a recess 6. In the particular embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the tabs are of. equal dimension between the sides 8 and thereof; The dimension of the recess 8 between the edges or sides of thetabs land 8 is greater than the coursewise dimension of the tabs. As will be seen from Fig. 2, when an assembly is made or, such elements in courses in overlapping arrangement, with the lower, edges III of the tabs adjacent and usually coincident with the inner edge I! of the recess between or adjacent to the tabs, the edges 8 and 8 respectively of the tabs of one course are not in alignment, in the direction of slope of the roof, with the edges 8 and 8 of the tabs of the subjacent and superjacent courses. A simulation is obtained therefore in an assembly such as is shown in- Fig. 2 of shingles'or roofing units of greater and less width, the units of greater width being simulated by the areas exposed between the tabs of an overlapping element, the units of less width being simulated by the tabs. The difference in the coursewise dimension of the space or recess 8 and the coursewise dimension of the tabs 4 ismade a substantial amount, so that when the roof is viewed from a distance as from the ground, the absence of the alignment of the edges 8 and 9 will be manifest and the strict uniformity of the shingle simulating area which is characteristic of many roof constructions of the prior art will be avoided.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be noted that there is provided in the angle of the recess 8 between the sides 8 or 9, as the case may be, and the inner edge I! of said recess a step or projection [4. This projection is of such dimension in the coursewise direction as to have its side or .transverse edges l come substantially into alignment with the side edges 8 and 8 of the tab of an overlapping shingle placed with its edge It adjacent or coincident with the inner edge l2 area thus exposed. It will be apparent from examination of Fig. 2 that by thus providing the projections H the shingles simulated in the same course may closely resemble the usual formation of individual shingles applied a roof deck. Moreover, because the projections l4 have their lower edges I'I below the inner edge I! of the recess coincident with which the lower edge ll of the tab 4 is placed, the relation of the .tab

area. 4 to the tree. 5 of the body portion! exposed between tab areas 4 of an overlapping shingle may be such as to simulate shingles of different lengths of exposure.

By reference to Fig. -1, it also will be noted that along the lower boundary of the body portion 2 is formed a stripe 20 of substantial width transverse to the coursewise-length thereof. In the particular embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the lower edge 22 of said stripe is generally in line with or coincident with the lower edges I! of saidprojections l4. In the particular embodiment as illustrated the stripe 20 has its upper edge 28 somewhat above the inner edge I! of the recess 6. While the invention is not limited tothe particular relation of the stripe 20 to the boundary l2 of the body portion, that is, to the inner edge ofthe recessB, and to the projections I4, in general the stripe is positioned on' theshingle element or strip so that its width between lines 22 and 23 is carried out by utilizing the projections It for the full coursewise dimension of said stripe between edges 9 and 8 of a space or area 5 exposed between overlapping tabs, as described above. Thus, as will be seen fromFig. 2,-along the lower boundary of such area 5 of the body portion 2 exposed between tabs may be provided a stripe of uniform Width throughout its coursewise length. This stripe may be of such width and be so formed as to provide the simulation of the butt edge of an element or shingle simulated by such area 5 exposed between tabs 4. In consideration of the angle at which a roof deck is usually viewed, the

- area of the stripe may be of the degree of 1",

although it may be less or more than this dimension. In a practical embodiment of the invention,

as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the length of the sides 16 of the projections l4,may be A". is preferable, the lower edge 22 of the stripe 20 is in line with the lower edge I! of the projection Is, the width of the stripe between the edge B2 of the recess 6 and the upper edge 23 of the stripe becomes 4".

, Itwill be apparent from Fig. 2 thatwhen the lower edge ill of the tab 5 is placed coincident .with the edge l2 of the recess thatv this narrow portion of the stripe 20 becomes covered by the tab, leaving exposed between tabs, as has been stated, the portion. of the stripe having the full width of l" or similar dimension for its full coursewise length between tabs. According to the method described hereafter,.along the lower or butt edge H! of the tabs may be formed a stripe 26 which, for example, may be of 4" width. It will be clear from consideration of Fig. 2 and the dimensions referred to that the upper line 21 of the stripe 26 will not be in alignment with the upper edge 23 of the stripe 26 exposed between the tabs.

The stripe 23 serves to accentuate the thickness of the tab 6 itself when viewed from the ground and of the tab 3 plus the immediately underlying portion of the body 2 of the subjacent or overlapped shingle strip. This stripe 28, acting with the edges of the tab 4 and of the body just referred to, as well as the shadow cast by these two portions, may give the simulation of a relatively thick butt unit for the unit simulated by the tab 1. When also a relatively wide stripe 20 is used which, however, when seen from the ground, appears of less width, shingle elements of considerable thickness in a roof construction may be simullated. It will now be apparent from the description given that the assembly represented by Fig. 2 may accomplish the simulation of shingle units of different thicknesses, of difierent widths,.and of difierent exposures, by virtue of the features of the invention which utilize the projections or steps is to carry the stripe 20 so that it will be properly related to the area 5 along which, as a simulated unit, it extends and to the butt edges in of the tabs .8 with the stripe 26 therealong.

In order economically and efiiciently to produce shingle strips having tabs of less width than the spaces therebetween, and in order to save waste of material in a manner similar to that heretofore practiced in the prior art where the tab is equal and usually of the same shape as the space or recess between tabs, the invention provides for cutting .a sheet of rooting material as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which a cut 30 of staggered outline is made in the sheet in gen- If,as,

In order to form the tabs 3 with less course wise dimension than the spaces or recesses 6 therebetween, cut-outs 32 are formed in the sheet in spaced relation lengthwise of said sheet, the sides 33 and 34 of said cut-outs extending transversely to the length of the sheet and being spaced apart a'distance equal to one-half the desired difference between the tab coursewise dimension and the recess coursewise dimension. For example, if the tab width is to be 9 and the width of the recess between thetabs is to be 10%", the width between cuts 33 and 33 is By means of a cutter of common type a piece of material may be cut out from the sheet by the cuts 33 and.3& connected at their ends by cuts 36 and 3'8. Such pieces of material constitute the only waste material necessarily produced in the formation of shingles of the type being described;

In order to produce the steps or projections It it will be noted that the cuts 33 and 3l are made in stepped relation to the lengthwise portions 38 of the cut 30 in the sheet. The cuts 33 produce the inner edges i2 of the recess of one shingle being cut from the sheet and at the same time the butt edge it of the tabs of the other shingle strip cut from the sheet. The cuts 36and 31 are positioned toward each other from the two lengthwise cuts 38 which are in offset relation adjacent opposite ends of the cutout 32. By positioning these two cuts 33 and 37 respectively from the line of the cuts 38,

it will be seen that the steps or projections Id along the line 30, by suitable method and means known in the art the stripes 20 may be formed on the sheet lengthwise thereof. In order to produce the shingle element or strip as shown in Fig. 1, with the line 22 of the stripe 23 in line with or coincident with the lower edge ll of the positioned so that the edges 22 are spaced apart a distance equal to the length of the cut-out 32. If, for example, the length of the tab from the projections it, the stripes 23 of Fig. 3 maybe inner line l2 of the recess to the outer or butt edge it of the tab is to be 4" and if the depth of the steps or projections M is to be then the stripes 20 upon the sheet in Fig. 3 will'be' so placed that the edges 22 thereof are 3 apart. If the width of each stripe between lines 22 and 23 thereof is 1", then the edges I2 of the recesses produced by the cuts 38 made in the sheet will be spaced from the other boundary line 23 of stripe'20. By suitably designing the cutting roll and positioning it transverselyof the length of the sheet the cut-out 32 and the cuts 38 may be made in the described relation to the stripes 20 and the elements or shingle strips out from the sheet .will be of the type shown in Fig. '1, having the stripe 2ll extending across the region where the tab 4 joins the body 2 of the shingle strip and also will have from the assembly Fig. 2, the tabs of the overlapping strip may be placed with their edges It in register with the edge l2 of the recess and also with their edges 8 and 9 in register with the edges l6 .of the two projections ll which are respectively at the corners of the recess above which said tab is placed. In this manner there i not only is secured the features which have been described above as to variation in width, length, and thickness of the simulated shingle units, but there is secured a means of insuring the proper positioning of each tab of each shingle strip or element as it is being laid in overlapping relation to a subjacent shingle strip or element.-

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the element of the invention, in which from the coursewise boundary of the body portion of the shingle element depends a single tab 4. Projections I are formed in the .angles between the sides 8 and! of the tab and the edges I! of the body portion these edges 12 being those of the recess to be formed in an assembly between two tabs of two shingle elements laid in'abutting relationin the same course.- The coursewise dimension of the tab I may be similar to the coursewise dimension of the tab 4 in Fig. 1 and the dimensions of the projections It also may be similar. shingle strip or element may be cut in the' same 4 manner as described in connection with Fig. 3,

except that the transverse cuts 39 which separate shingle strips in the length of the sheet are supplemented by cuts at the intermediate recess or tab, as indicated in the dotted line 49 in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that all the features of the methods of cutting the shinglestrips or elements of Fig. l and the securing of a narrow tab relative to a recess between tabs and the simulations and advantages obtained as described in an assembly may be secured with elements of the type of Fig. 4. These features and advantages likewise may be obtained in constructions utilizing both the element of Fig. 1 and the element of Fig. 4.

' A further modification of the invention is shown in Fig. and relates to the form of the stripe 20 along the body portion of the shingle element or strip and'also of the stripe 26 along the butt edge III of the tab. This feature of the invention is concerned. with the problem which ariseswhen the tabs, particularly rectangular tabs, of a wide-spaced-tab shingle to which the invention relates are made with considerable exposure, that is with the dimension of the tab transverse to the coursewise dimension of considerable extent, to secure the effect of a large exposure of the simulated shingle units. If i this dimension of the tabin a shingle strip of ordinary flexible roofing material is made too great, the tendency of the tab to blow-upand to expose the underlying shingle element, and

particularly to uncover the joint between two underlying elements, is increased. Shingle elements or strips having this dimension of the tab Such a 2,197,972 J the stripe 26 of W width, extending along the of the degree of 5" or 6." usually cannot be used when such strips are made from roofing materials of .ordinary thicknesses. To make such shingle strips, which are intended to be of low cost, thicker throughout their extent in order to offset the tendency of the tab to blow-up or to curl would be uneconomical.

In order to overcome these diifioulties and to secure the effect of increased exposure referred to, the invention further proposes to form the element or strip with a considerable thickness in the region where the stripe 20 is formed. For example, the thickness of the asphalt coating applied upon the saturated felt base sheet in-the area occupied by the stripe 20 may be made considerably greater by several methods known in the art. To accomplish this a thick coating may be applied'all over the felt base sheet to be treated and the areas on either side of the stripe may be scraped, as by the process suggested in the Outman Patent No. 1,426,497, in order to leave the coating with the greater thickness on the, portion occupied by the stripe 20, while reducing this thickness in the adjacent areas of the sheet. If desired, however, the stripe 20 maybe applied ,by additional application of asphalt, either directly upon a first coating of asphalt upon the felt base sheet or upon a surfacing layer bound upon the sheet by a first coating of as- I sideration of the fact that, as may be seen from the assembly of shingle elements illustratedin 'Fig. 2, the nails are or may be driven through] this thickened portion. of the shingle element or strip, the hinge point or line of the shingle is reinforced by the thickened stripe 20. Thusthe tendency of the tabs to hinge about the lower boundary of the body portion 2 and to bend up under the action of wind is materially reduced.

This thickened stripe, moreover, serves to accentuate the demarcation of the area 4 of the tab fromthe area 5 .of the body 2 of the strip and to more sharply demark the shingle units simulated by these areas. The effect of a thick unit for the area 5 also is obtained by this increased thickness of the material on the stripe 20 and this increased thickness, together with the width of the stripe and the other features which have been described, serves eflectively to enhance the illusion and simulation of individual units laid in courses;

It will be clear also from further consideration of Fig. 3,.illustrating the manner of cutting the shingle strips of the invention from a sheet of material, that the stripe 26 also will have a greater thickness and. its surface may be raised above the general surface of the tab area I when the stripe 20 is produced upon the sheet in the manner just described and before cuttingof the sheet is started. This stripe, thus increasing the thickness of the tab edge also serves to accentuate the thick butt effect of the tab. It also mayact with the thickened stripe 20 along the boundary of the area 5 exposed between tabs to secure the effect of thick butt individual units laid in courses. It will be understood that the several other features-of the invention are maintained in this modification thereof to secure in the assembly of such elements in a roof construcstripes 20 and 26 and of the dimensions of the shingle element or strip may be made within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I now claim:

1. A' shingle strip having a plurality of tabs depending from a body portion of the strip, said tabs being of similar coursewise dimension and being separated by a recess having a coursewise dimension greater thanthe coursewise dimension of at least one of said tabs, said shingle, strip having in the region where said tabs join said body of the' shingle strip a stripe extending in the coursewise direction and demarking the tab areas from the body of the shingle strip, whereby when a plurality of said strips is assembled in overlapping courses with the lower edge of the tabs adjacent the inner edge of the recesses of a subjacent shingle strip the area of the subjacent strip exposed between the tabs of the superposed strip is demarked from the tab area of the subjacent strip, the difference in the Width of the tab and the space in the shingle strips in adjacent courses providing discontinuity of the lines of the sides of the tabs in the direction of the slopeof the roof, said stripe extending at least substantially to meet the adjacent side edges of the tabs between which said area is exposed.

2. A shingle strip having a plurality of tabs depending from a body portion of the strip, said tabs being of similar coursewise dimension and being separated by a recess having a coursewise dimension greater than the coursewise dimension of at least one of said tabs, said shingle strip having in the region where said tabs join said body of the shingle strip a stripe extending in the coursewise direction and demarking the tab areas from the body of the shingle strip,

whereby when a plurality of said strips is assembled in overlapping courses with the lower edge of the tabs adjacent the inner end of the" recesses of a subjacent shingle strip the area of the subjacent strip exposed between tabs of the superposed strip is demarked from the tab area of the subjacent strip, the difierencein the width of the tab and the space in the shingle strips in adjacent courses providing discontinuity of the lines of the sides of the tabs in-the direction of the slope of the roof, the inner edge of said recess insaid shingle strip being formed with a step at an end thereof adjacent a tab, said stripe extending upon said step,

*3. A shingle strip as in claim 2 in which the length of said edge exclusive of the step is similar to that of the width of a tab.

4. A shingle strip having a-plurality of tabs depending from a body portion of the strip, said tabs being of similar coursewise dimension and being separated by a recess having a coursewise jacent strip exposed between the tabs of the superposed strip is demarked from the tab area of the subjacent strip, the difference in the, width of the tab and the space in the shingle stripsin adjacent courses providing discontinuity of the lines of the sides of the tabs in the direction of the slope of the roof, the inner edge of said recess in said shingle strip being offset inwardly with respect to the lower edge or" the portion of the stripe which extends across said exposed area and being formed with a step at each end thereof adjacent the tabs, the length of said inner edge of the recess between the steps being similar to that of the lower edge of the tabs.

5. A shingle strip having a plurality of tabs depending from a body portion of the strip, said tabs being of similar coursewise dimension and being separated by a recess having a coursewise dimension greater than the coursewise dimension of at least one of said tabs, said shingle strip having in the region where said tabs join said body of. the shingle strip a stripe extending in the coursewise direction demarking the tab areas from the body of the shingle strip, whereby when a plurality of said strips is assembled in overlapping courses with the lower edge of the tabs adjacent theinner end of the recesses of a subjacent shingle strip thearea of the subjaoent strip exposed between tabs of the superposed strip is demarked from the tab area of the subjacent strip, the difierence in width of the tab and the space in the shingle strips in adjacent courses providing discontinuity ofthe lines of the sides of the tabs in the direction of the slope of the roof, the inner edge of said recess in said shingle strip being offset inwardly with respect to the lower edge of the portion of the stripe which extends across said exposed area and being 7 formed with a step at an end of said inner edge adjacent a tab, the length of said edge exclusive of the step being similar to that of the width of a tab, the lower edge of .said portion of said stripe being substantially coincident with the lower edge of said step.

6. A shingle strip according to claim 2 in which the tabs are of rectangular outline and the step is in the form of a right angle corner.

7. A shingle strip having a tab depending from the body portion of the strip, said tab having a coursewisedimension thereof in such relation to the distance from the side edge of the tab to the end of the body portion that when two strips are laid in abutting relation in a course the space between the tabs thereof is greater than the coursewise dimension of said tab, said shingle strip having in the region where said tab joins said body of the shingle strip a stripe extending in the coursewise directionand demarking the tab area from said body of the shingle strip to expose between two tabs of an overlying course an area of said shingle strip demarked from said tab area by said stripe, said shingle strip having in the angle formed by the edge of the body portion and the side edge of the tab a portion of the body formed as a step, the lower line of said stripe being substantially coincident with the coursewise edge of said step. said stripe extending upon said step beyond the side edge of the tab at least substantially to the point where it will meet the side edges or the tabs of the .overlying strip between which said area of the tab is exposed in an assembly of said shingle strips in a roof construction.

8. A shingle element for laying in overlapping courses having a body portion and a tab depending from said body portion, said tab being so proportioned and so positioned with respect to the coursewise edge of said body portionthat when two elements are laid adjacent in a course with their body portions substantially abutting the distance in the coursewise direction between adjacent edges of the tabs thereof is greater than the coursewise dimension of the tab of said shingle element, said shingle element having a portion of the body thereof formed as a step in theangle between the coursewise edge of the body and the side edge of the tab, said step extending in the coursewise direction from said side edge of the tab an amount such that the distance between steps substantially is equal to the coursewise dimension of the tab, said ele.- ment having thereon a stripe of substantial width and extending in the coursewise direction in the region at which said tab joins said body portion, the lower edge of said stripe being substantially coincident with the coursewise edge of said step, said stripe extending substantially to said side edge of said step.

9. A roof construction comprising a plurality of shingle strips as defined in claim 2, said strips being assembled in overlapping courses with the lower edge of the tab adjacent the inner edges of the recesses and with the side edges. of the tabs substantially registering with the edge of said step which is transverse to the course.

10. A shingle strip according to claim 1 in which the thickness of the material in the area thereof in which the stripe along the body portion is formedis greater than the areas adjacent thereto. v

11. A shingle strip according to claim 1 in which the thickness of the material in the area thereof in which the stripe along the body portion-is formed is greater than the areas adjacent thereto, said shingle element also having a stripe along the butt edge of the tab of greater thickness than the material of the tab area.

12. The method of producing a shingle strip having a plurality of tabs depending from a body portion of the strip, said tabs being of similar coursewise dimension and separated by a recess having a coursewise dimension greater thanthat of the coursewise dimension of at least one' cf the tabs which comprises forming upon an elongated sheet of covering material lengthwise thereof at least two substantially parallel bands of contrasting appearance to the surface of the sheet and spaced apart in the direction transversely to the length of the sheet, forming a series of slot-like cut-outs in the portion of said sheet lying between said spaced bands at substantially equal distances lengthwise of the sheet and with the ends of the cut-outs respectively substantially meeting the adjacent boundaries of said bands, the width of said cut-outs.being such that the dimension of portions of the sheet lying between the cut-outs is substantially equal, and connecting said cut-outs by cuts extending lengthwise of said bands and'altemately in thetwo bands to sever substantially like shingle strips on either side of said cut-outs and cuts;

I 13. A shingle strip according to claim 12, in which each cut connects between the adjacent corners of two cut-outs which lie upon the sam'e boundary of a band.

14. A shingle strip according to claim 12, in which each cut connects between the adjacent corners of two cut-outs which lie upon the same boundary of aband, said cut having a portion at each end thereof extending in line with the transversely extending edge of the cut-out to form a step at the corners of the recess between tabs. l

15. A shingle strip having a tab depending from the body portion of the strip, said tab having the course-wise dimension thereof in such relation to the distance from the side edges of the tab to theends of the body portion that when two strips are laid in abutting relation in a course the space between the tabs thereof is reater than the course-wise dimension of said tab, said shingle'strip having inthe region where said tab joins said body of the shingle strip a stripe extending in the course-wise direction and demarking the tab area from said body of the shingle strip to expose between two tabs of an overlying course an areaof said shingle strip demarked from said tabarea by said stripe when a plurality of said strips is assembled in noverlapping courses with the lower edge of the tab adjacent the inner edge of the recess formedbetween tabs of a subjacent course of shingle strips,.the difference in width of the tab and of the recess between tabs providing in adjacent courses discontinuity of lines of the sides of the tabs in the direction of the slope of the roof, said stripe extending at least substantially to meet the adjacent side edges of the tabs between which said area is exposed.

16. A shingle strip comprising a felted fibrous base saturated and coated withasphalt and surfaced with' granular material, said shingle strip having a tab with substantially parallel side edges depending from the body portion thereof, said tab having the coursewise dimension thereof in such relation to the distance from the side edges of the tab to the ends of the body portion that when two strips are laid in abutting relation in a course the space between the tabs thereof is greater than the coursewise-dimension 'of said tab, said shingle strip having in the region where said .tab joins said body oflthe shingle strip ,a stripe extending in the coursewise direction and demarking the tab area from said body ofthe shingle strip to expose between two tabs of an overlying course an area of said shingle strip demarked from said tab area by said stripe when a plurality of said strips is ALFRED F. ERNST. 

